Carpet stretcher plate

ABSTRACT

A carpet stretcher with a plate having a plurality of protruding prongs or carpet-engaging pins adapted to engage a carpet, the plate being comprised of a moldable, resilient material with the prongs or carpet-engaging pins set in position within the plate.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Millard Craln, Jr.

San Jose, Calif.

[21] App]. No. 855,673

[22] Filed Sept. 5, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [73] Assignee Crain Cutter Company, Inc.

Santa Clara, Calif.

[54] CARPET STRETCl-IER PLATE 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.8. CI 254/62 [5 1] Int. Cl A47g 27/04 [50] Field of Search 254/57,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,606,743 8/1952 Owens... 254/62 2,882,642 4/1959 Hill 254/57UX Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-David R. Melton AnomeysJack M. Wiseman and Thomas E. Schatzel ABSTRACT: A carpet stretcher with a plate having a plurality of protruding prongs or carpet-engaging pins adapted to engage a carpet, the plate being comprised of a moldable, resilient material with the prongs or carpet-engaging pins set in position within the plate.

PATENTED AUG] 7 I97! INVENTOR MILLARD CRA|N,JR BY 21c}; W AIW ATTORNEYS The present invention relates to carpet stretchers and more particularly to a plate for carpet stretcher.

Carpet stretcher devices are well known and widely used in the installation of carpets. The devices are utilized to stretch the carpet across the surface to which it is applied to permit the carpet to be tautly secured in place.

Carpet stretchers include heads carrying a plate form which a plurality of individual prongs or carpet-engaging pins protrude. The prongs or carpet-engaging pins are adapted to engage and become embedded within the carpet piling. As the head is then moved relative to the fioor upon which the carpet is laid and with the opposing end of the carpet anchored, the carpet is stretched. The stretcher is subjected to considerable stress force in the stretching operation.

The plate, positioning of the prongs or carpet-engaging pins on the plate, and the dimensions of the prongs are so selected to withstand a substantial amount of force. A major portion of the carpet-stretching force is applied to the prongs or carpetengaging pins.

Heretofore, the plates have generally included a plurality of prongs or carpet-engaging pins supported within a rigid metal base or casting. Individual apertures were generally drilled within the base and the individual prongs or carpet-engaging pins inserted and secured in place by welding, press fitting or the like. Such plates were relatively expensive to manufacture and of substantial weight. With such plates, there was a tendency for the carpet-engaging pins or prongs to fracture or break off with relative facility. 1

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention provides an improved carpet stretcher with a plate including carpet-engaging pins or prongs integrally formed with a moldable, yieldable base thereof. The plates are adapted for more economical manufacture over prior art structures and to be of less weight, and in addition thereto tend to reduce the breaking off or fracturing of the protruding prongs or carpet-engaging pins through the yieldable or resilient action of the base with which the carpet-engaging pins or prongs are integrally formed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the plate comprises a moldable, resilient hard rubber base material. The individual prongs or carpet-engaging pins are placed in and set with the base to form a unitary or integral structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power carpet stretcher; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plate of the power carpet stretcher of FIG. 1 and incorporating the teachings of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 depicts a perspective a power carpet stretcher referred to by the general reference character 10. The stretcher carries a head segment referred to by the general reference character i2 having a housing HE. A lever arm 14 is integraily joined with the housing 13 of the head 12 and pivotable about a point on the top surface of the head. The lever arm 14 carries a handle 16 to be grasped by an individual. Also engaging and integral with the housing 13 is a slide member 18 slidable within a cylinder 20. The cylinder 20 is secured to an anchor sleeve 22 adapted to be positioned against a solid support 24, such as an opposing wall. The anchor sleeve 22 may comprise a number of extension arms depending on the format of the surface over which the carpet is to be stretched. Intermediate the cylinder 20 and the lever 14 are a pair of hinges 26 adapted to transmit movement of the lever arm 14 to that of the cylinder 20 and anchor sleeve 22. The hinges 26 are joined to the arm 14 by pivot pin 28 and to a boss 30 of the cylinder 20 by a pin 32. Accordingly, with the anchor sleeve 22 anchored in place, the movement of the lever arm 14 is transmitted to the slide member 18 and the head segment 12 so that the head 12, when engaging a carpet,

is urged across the surface which the carpet is to cover.

On the bottom side of the head segment 12 is supported a plate referred to by the general reference character 34. The plate 34 carries a plurality of prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 each embedded within and protruding from a base member 38. Said prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 are made of a hard metallic material and in the exemplary embodiment are made of steel. The plate 34 is secured in place about the bottom surface of the head segment 12 by fitting within a cavity of the housing 13 formed by a rim member 40. Within the cavity formed by the rim 40 is an adjustment plate 42 within a central cavity formed by a rim member 43. The plate 42 establishes a plane parallel of the base member 38 and is secured to three pins 44 each surrounded by helical bias spring 46. The center one of the three pins 44 is threaded and protrudes through the housing and engages on the topside an adjustment knob 48. Thus, the position of the adjustment knob 48 may be adjusted so as to cause the adjustment plate 42 to move laterally relative to the plate 34. In this manner, the depth at which the prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 enter within a carpet is dependent upon the adjustment of the knob 48. The plate 34 carries a central opening 49 to permit the plate 42 to be positioned about the rim member 43. This, in turn, allows the adjustment plate 42 to be adjusted free of the plate 34. This plate 34 is secured to the housing 13 by means of cement and/or anchor bolts 50 protruding through a set of apertures 52.

FIG. 2 illustrates the plate 34 in further detail. As illustrated, the plate 34 includes the base member 38 comprised of a slightly resilient, moldable material, for example, a blend of vinyl and synthetic rubber mixture. This material is selected to be capable of firmly holding the pins 36 while having resiliency to absorb shock applied to the pins. Preferably, the durometer rating, a recognized quantitative measure of hardness and resiliency in material is within the range of -95. The prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 are set within the base member 38 according to a desired format. In the embodiment, the prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 are set at an angle relative to the horizontal of the base member 38 and disposed in individual rows and columns so as to evenly distribute the force against the plate 34 when the prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 are embedded within the piling of a carpet. The use of a moldable material for the base member 38 permits a simplified manufacturing process in which while the base member 38 material is still molten the individual prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 may be positioned. As the plate material cures, the prongs or carpet-engaging pins 36 are secured or set in place.

The utilization of a resilient moldable material for the base member 38 of the plate 34 has proven to provide a substantial advancement over prior art structures. In the prior art, the plate members generally include a base member of metallic material. Accordingly, in the manufacturing process, the individual base members need to be molded from a specific mold or otherwise specifically machined. To set the prongs or pins within a metallic base as in the prior art, it is necessary to drill an individual hole for each of the prongs or pins. Then, the prongs or pins are pressed or otherwise secured within the individual holes. Obviously, the manufacturing of such structures is substantially more .time consuming and costly than that of the present invention. The yieldable resilient action of the base member 38 further tends to reduce the braking off or fracturing of the carpet-engaging pins or prongs 36 over that of prior art structures. It further buffers shock which would otherwise be received by the head housing 13.

I claim:

1. A carpet-stretching tool comprising, in combination:

a head member forming an internal cavity;

a slide member integral with the head member, the slide member engaging an anchor member and slidable relative to said anchor member;

a lever arm engaging and pivotable relative to the head member and the anchor member;

a plate comprised by a resilient moldable material and integral with a plurality of carpet-engaging pins, the plate being supported within the internal cavity of the head member and the pins extending beyond said cavity.

2. The carpet stretcher of claim 1 further including an adjustment plate means attached to the head member, the adjustment plate establishing a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the plate and including means for adjusting the lateral position of the adjustment plate relative to the plate to adjust the degree said pins penetrate a carpet.

3. The carpet stretcher of claim 2 in which the plate includes a central opening means conforming to the dimensions of the adjustment plate; and

the adjustment plate is supported by the head member and positioned within said internal cavity in alignment with said central opening.

4. The carpet stretcher of claim 1 in which the material of the plate has a durometer rating within the range of approximately -95.

5. A carpet-stretching tool for stretching carpet over a surface comprising, in combination: 

1. A carpet-stretching tool comprising, in combination: a head member forming an internal cavity; a slide member integral with the head member, the slide member engaging an anchor member and slidable relative to said anchor member; a lever arm engaging and pivotable relative to the head member and the anchor member; a plate comprised by a resilient moldable material and integral with a plurality of carpet-engaging pins, the plate being supported within the internal cavity of the head member and the pins extending beyond said cavity.
 2. The carpet stretcher of claim 1 further including an adjustment plate means attached to the head member, the adjustment plate establishing a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the plate and including means for adjusting the lateral position of the adjustment plate relative to the plate to adjust the degree said pins penetrate a carpet.
 3. The carpet stretcher of claim 2 in which the plate includes a central opening means conforming to the dimensions of the adjustment plate; and the adjustment plate is supported by the head member and positioned within said internal cavity in alignment with said central opening.
 4. The carpet stretcher of claim 1 in which the material of the plate has a durometer rating within the range of approximately 90-95.
 5. A carpet-stretching tool for stretching carpet over a surface comprising, in combination: a head member; a plate comprised of a resilient moldable material and integral with a plurality of carpet-engaging pins protruding therefrom, the plate secured to the head member with the pins exposed; and lever arm means engaging the head for imparting movement to the head member over the surface to which carpeting is to be secured.
 6. The carpet stretching tool of claim 5 in which the material of the plate has a durometer rating within the range of approximately 90-95. 